Psalm 23:4
by Compelled
Summary: Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I fear no evil, for you are with me...." IenzoxLexaeus
1. Chapter 1

Ienzo was a very well behaved young man who attended Our Lady Of Saints, the very model of a perfect Alter Boy. Actually, he was in the choir, a soft voice to contrast the baratones and high pitches of the girls. He stayed after to help the nuns clean the church on this particular night.

"Ienzo. I much appreciate your staying behind to help us. We need a bit more manpower today." Ienzo smiled up from his place wiping down the pews up at Father Ansem.

"It's no problem, Father. Thank you for letting me stay behind. I was just going to vacuum the carpets and let everyone else leave early, then I'll be going. Is it alright if I lock up tonight?"

Father Ansem tensed at the question, but he trusted Ienzo boy had always been deep and silent, simply giving off an aura of innocence and faith; but that was what worried him. Ienzo started as the Father put his hands on the boys thin shoulders. He stared him in the eyes for a moment before sighing.

"Of course, but be very, **very** careful, Ienzo? This is a holy place, yes, but that doesn't mean that unholy things do not gather here." Ienzo blinked at the seriousness that overtook his mentor's face.

"Yes, Father, I understand." The elder nodded once, before walking out stiffly, crossing himself and exchanging a worried glance with Sister Namine.

Ienzo was a diligent worker and minded his time carefully, vacuuming the floors neatly in lines, before placing the tool in a closet. He wiped his hands together, and began walking to turn off the lights. He walked to through the darkness, and was suddenly hit with an odd feeling in his chest that made him shiver.

"...._ Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I fear no evil, for_...." Ienzo jumped back horribly a loud thud came from the door that led to the basement. He glanced around before crossing over to the large wooden door, and pulled it open. He walked down the stairs cautiously, peering into the darkness.

He choked as he was slammed into a wall by a man... No! A boy, around his age. He'd mistaken him for a man because of his build. He was tall, at least a foot, maybe two, taller than Ienzo, and very muscular. His arms buldged and his chest was bare in Ienzo's face. He wore loose jeans that hung low on his hips, and an inverted cross was burned into the skin of his right side, along with a ring of sixes surrounding it. Ienzo could not hold in his gasp, shaking fingers tracing over the brand. The boy above him grumbled, and he glanced up into milky black eyes.

"Why hello, little lamb. Has thou Shepard abandoned thee?" The voice was rumbling and deep, and Ienzo could tell by the way it spoke it was an older demon.

"My Shepard would never abandon me! He simply allows me to walk along of my own free will." Ienzo was afraid of this apparent demon, even more frightened to know why this monster had been trapped in the basements of the Church. He was unsure if talking back would anger this Demon, but he had to defend!

"Ohho, a black sheep perhaps? And how far does thou wander from the herd?" The demon seemed amused, trialing strong, calloused fingers down Ienzo's cheek.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ienzo snapped, glaring and jerking his head away.

"Thou certianly has spark about thee, Ienzo." The demon's voice was laced with amusement and... something else. Ienzo glanced sheepishly up, then gasped.

"How do you know my name!" The demon chuckled at Ienzo's anger, the vibrations fron his chest shaking Ienzo's whole body. The boy drew in a hissed breath, almost silent to himself.

"I know quite a lot about thee, Ienzo. My name is Lexaeus." Ienzo stared up at the demon, trying to absorb his name. It was spoken with a thick accent, and his thin eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, Lex-a-us...Lex-e-us, _**you,**_ let me go!" He snarled, fumbling over the odd name. The demon laughed again, then slid his hands down to grasp Ienzo around the waist. He lifted him swiftly, pinning the boy to the wall.

"I don't think I will let thoust go. I quite like thee." He shifted Ienzo's wrists into one hand, hauling the boy up with ease. Ienzo's voice caught in his throat as he stared Lexaeus, the man's other hand wandering around his side.

"Let me go! Stop this!"

The demon ignored Ienzo's pleas, popping the buttons on the teen's shirt and pants. Ienzo's breath came fast, squirming away from the hand pulling his pants off. Lexaeus smirked and pushed his palm agaisnt the smallish bulge in the boys underwear. Ienzo gasped and twisted more, but the demon didn't let up groping his hand and swirling his fingers. Ienzo panted and moved, his body tingling and on fire. No one had _ever_ touched him. He'd never even touched himself; washing in the bathtub made him blush.

"This is wrong and sinful and- ah!" He choked on his hysterical words as the demon grasped him with a firmer touch.

"I thought thoust Shepard let thee wander ast thou pleased?"

The demon smirked and raised his hand to fondle Ienzo's chest. The boy began panting agian, giving up his protests. He felt strange and sedated, but so very aware of himself in a way he never had before. His nipples were stimulated with the large thumb, so much so he could almost feel each indentation of Lexaeus' fingerprint. His wrists hurt, and he wrapped his thin legs around the demon's waist, his mind buzzing.  
The demon released his wrists and moved closer to the boy, both hands going to work at his chest. He swooped down to bite and tougne at Ienzo's neck, and the boy's eyes rolled back into his head as he rocked and bucked his hips agaisnt the demon. Lexeaus made a contented noise and ground back agaisnt the boy, causing his eyes to snap open and to release all over the demon. Ienzo gulped in lungfulls of air, hands shaking as tears dripped down his cheeks. Lexaeus set Ienzo down, standing tall over the boy.

"The little black sheep blends in the edges of the herd, but can never enter the safety of the center again. I trust thee will find me if thoust Shepard does not take thee back in." The demon backed up and slunk down the stairs, and Ienzo watched the murky eyes until they slipped off into the shadows, pulling the heavy door shut. Ienzo hissed as his wrist burned, the one Lexaeus had been holding. A small ring of sixes was lightly burned to the left of his viens, looking like a birthmark, very smooth and only slightly darker than his skin; not like the scarred brand Lexaeus had. He stared at the door and sighed as he stood and gathered his clothes.

"Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I fear no evil, for _you_ are with me...." Ienzo recited softly, the words taking on a whole new meaning for him. He glanced at wrist, then at the door, and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ienzo, my son, would you come speak with me in my office, please?" Father Ansem stopped the boy on his way out of the church, gnawing the inside of his bottom lip in anxiety. Ienzo beamed up at him and nodded, picking up his bookbag and following Ansem into the back of the church.

They passed the heavy door that Lexeaus resided behind, and Ienzo couldn't help the light blush that graced his cheeks. He felt like he could hear Lexeaus' deep chuckles as he passed it, and scowled a bit. Father Ansem tensed, spine ram-rod straight and jaw set. He rushed through the hallway, and Ienzo had to half-jog to keep up with him. The pair entered his office, and Ienzo sank into one of the wooden chairs infront of the desk. The plush velvet seats melded around his bottom and he smiled a bit.  
Ienzo had always loved Father Ansem's office, filled with biblical paintings and books. The desk sat infront of a large stained glass window with pictures of Jesus, The Virgin Mary, and the disciples, and the light streamed down through them and onto Father Ansem. Ienzo always thought that he looked very powerful and respected when he sat in the large leather chair and helped people find thier religion and pray with them.

"How did last night go, Ienzo?" Father Ansem look apprehensive as he stared at the boy, and Ienzo made a face at him.

"It went fine, Father Ansem..." He trailed off and Ansem pursed his lips.

"Nothing... out of place?" He watched Ienzo's face carefully, studying it. The sister's had said that Ienzo iseemed/i find all day, and that he was being paranoid. But he still couldn't help but be cautious.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Sir." Ienzo said, trying desperatly not to think of the Demon he'd... iencountered/i.

"No? No strange occurances? Everything went smoothly? You cleaned, then left?"

Ienzo blinked hard as the Father's voice went hard, a bit condesending. He'd never heard Father Ansem use such a tone. Did he know? Did he know about Lexaeus? Of course he did... He must have been the one to lock the Demon in the basement, but why was he so angry with Ienzo? Was he supposed to tell Father Ansem about thier meeting?

**No. Lie to him, Ienzo. He may try to harm thee if thoust does not listen.** Lexaeus' voice rang through Ienzo's head, and he felt his eyebrows scrunch up.

Harm him? Why would Father Ansem harm him? Ienzo gulped and steady himself.

"Of course, Father Ansem. Was there something else I was supposed to do?" Ienzo felt horrible lying to one of his mentor's. He'd never lied to anyone, with the exeption of the events leading up to the suprise party he and his dad had thrown for his mom.

"No, son. Just making sure. Things are not always as they seem here."

He stood from his desk and circled around Ienzo, eyes narrowing at the flesh he could see. Ienzo swallowed as quietly as he could and rolled his wrist flat agianst the arm of the chair. Father Ansem paused in his steps, and his hand darted out to grab the boys wrist. Ienzo squirmed and tried to pull his arm away.

"Are you sure you don't have anything to say to me, iIenzo/i?" Father Ansem snarled his name like it was something foul, using his other hand to roll up Ienzo's sleeve.

The boy froze, staring with wide eyes as the Father stared at the small mark on his wrist with disgust. He yanked the boy from his seat and pulled down furter into the back of the church.

"Sister Namine! Sister Larxene! Meet me in the baptizing room immediately!" Ansem roared, throwing Ienzo into a wooden chair just outside of the baptizing pool.

The two nuns came running into the room, and Namine shrieked lightly in horror when she saw Ienzo clutching his wrist and looking frightened. Larxene came behind the boy and grabbed his arms with sharp fingers, holding him still. Ienzo squirmed, and Father Ansem grabbed his bible. He recited in Tougnes, glaring hard at Ienzo, before setting the bible down and nodding toward the pool.

Larxene and Namine pushed the teen into the pool, while Father Ansem stripped off his robes and rolled up his sleeves.

"Listen to me closely, demon child. You have fratrinized with sin! With the associates of the Devil! You are his advocate now! We know what you did. We can see it on your skin. We see the sin in your eyes. Withdraw from it now, or we will be forced to withdraw it from you." Father Ansem held the boy the shoulders, Larxene holding his arms still.

Ienzo thrashed and kicked his legs, careful of Namine as she stood behind Ansem.

**"**_**Now I lay you down to sleep, I pray the Lord your soul to keep. If you shall die before you wake, I pray the Lord your soul to take**.... Dear father who art in heaven, hollowed be thy name..."_ Sister Namine spoke through tears, and Father Ansem tightened his grip, shifting his feet to hold steady as he began to push Ienzo under the water.

"Though I walk though the Valley of the-" Ienzo's tears met with the pool as Father Ansem ducked him under with water.

"_Thy kingdom come, thy will be done..."_ Sister Namine stopped her sobbing as Father Ansem pulled the spluttering boy from the water agian, Sister Larxene's voice joining hers.

"Shadow of Death, I fear **no evil**," Ienzo cried through his tears, yelling as loud as his hoarse throat would let him. It burned from the water he inhaled, and Sister Larxene pulled a hand back to slap him. Father Ansem shoved him under the water again, and Ienzo tried to hold his breath.

"_In Earth as it is in Heaven." _The sister's voices were joined by Ansem's as he held the boy under water.

He could hear the voices amlified through the water, the blurred figures burning in his eyes. He felt his lungs, throat, and muscles burning. His entire body felt light and pained. He closed his eyes and willed for something to happen, bubbles tearing from his mouth and so many hands holding him down. He could still hear them chanting prayers and verses from above him, and he faintly wondered what would happen when he died.

"For _you_ are with **me**." A deep rumbling resounded thorugh the water, and his eyes shot open.

The voice cut through his subconcious, and he willed as much strength as he could to fight agaisnt the hands once more. He thrashed his shoulders agaisnt the hands, and felt the largest pair remove from his shoulders. The other hands retreated, and he pushed himself up. Ienzo gasped for breath, tears still streaming as his hair flopped in his face. The water was staining a light pink, and the nuns were flopped together weakly in the corner. Ienzo could see them faintly breathing through his hair.

He groped out blindly, and met with the solid, breathing wall he'd been looking for. Ienzo collasped forward, his jelly knees hardly working as it is. A large, rough hand stroked the thick hair from his face, back across his head. A second joined it to caress his cheek, and he tilted his head up. Lexaeus stared gravely down at him, milky eyes flashing with contempt, concern, and relief all at once. Ienzo drew a shaky, painful breathe and he coughed hoarsely. The demon tilted his head back up, pressing thier mouths together. Instantly, Ienzo open his mouth in a gasp, clinging tightly to wet, naked shoulders. Lexaeus huffed outward into Ienzo's mouth, and the boy felt the breath run straight down his throat, into his lungs. The pain faded away, and he inhaled through his nose.

"Why would they do this?" Ienzo sobbed, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Thoust wandered too far from the herd. Thou Shepard was wary of how thee could harm the rest of the flock, Little Black. I am not going to apologize, but I am regretful I did not come sooner." Lexaeus reached forward and hitched the boy up onto his hip; the way a mother would hold an infant.

"It's not your fault. You saved me, you're a hero." Ienzo leaned into Lexaeus' neck and closed his eyes, feeling oddly tired.

"Sleep, my baby lamb. I have thee now. Thoust fits perfectly with my flock."

* * *

[Erm, it doesn't ireally/i go with the last one, it kinda came to me. WAH I have never written drama, especially not like this.]


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